1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit memories, and more specifically, to split gate non-volatile memory cells.
2. Related Art
Split gate non-volatile memory (NVM) cells have been found to be useful in providing more efficient programming because programming currents are greatly reduced. Also read can be accomplished more quickly due to keeping the control gate active continuously and using the select gate for selectively accessing cells. This has been found useful not just in floating gate but also in the use of other storage types such as nanocrystals which may also be characterized as nanoclusters in that they are quite small storage elements. A typical nanocluster may be 50 Angstroms in diameter. In this combination of nanocluster and split gate there is the advantage of reduced failures due to leakage from the storage layer of the NVM cell while also providing efficient programming and fast reads.
Thus there is a need for effective manufacturing techniques for split gate NVM cells.